My good friend Sharon knows how much I love Panera Bread's salad. She sent a copy of this recipe from the book America's Most Wanted Recipes. And it is good!!! It makes a lovely dish. It would be great for a lunch with a girlfriend. I miss those lunch dates with you, Sharon!
Now I made the dressing as is, but I made more of the wontons, almonds, lettuce, cilantro and chicken for a bigger salad. So I used a whole bag of romaine mix.
Ingredients
2 wonton wrappers
Canola oil, for frying
2 Tbs sliced Almonds
Dressing
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
1/4 cup toasted sesame oil
2 Tbs soy sauce
1 tsp sesame seeds, toasted
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
3 tsp sugar
3/4 cup canola oil
4 cups loosely packed bite-size pieces romaine lettuce
1 Tbs fresh cilantro, chopped
3 oz boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 Tbs toasted sesame seeds
Directions
Preheat oven to 350. Spread almonds out on a baking sheet. Toast them in the oven for 5 min, toss them around, and then toast for 5 minutes more. Remove from oven and cool. (I toasted the sesame seeds the same way)
Cut wonton wrappers into 1/4 inch strips. Heat 2 inches of canola oil until they are crisp, about 30 seconds. Remove and drain on a paper towel.
Pound chicken to make it thin. I seasoned with salt and pepper, but Panera's salad calls it citrus herbed chicken. I may have to find that kind of seasoning! Grill until done. Cut into thin strips.
To make the dressing, in a bowl (or dressing bottle), mix together all of the ingredients except the canola oil. Use a wire whisk to blend well and then slowly drizzle in the oil to create an emulsion.
To assemble the salad, in a large bowl, toss the romaine lettuce, cilantro, fried wonton strips, chicken, and dressing.
Transfer to plates and top with the sesame seeds and almonds.
